| Recent Avalanches? | No |
| Collapsing (Whumphing)? | Yes |
| Cracking (Shooting cracks)? | No |
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Magnum
Standard up-route into PMS Bowl from the Magnum/Corn Biscuit parking lot.
Obvious signs of instability
Observer Comments
One large collapse triggered while skinning on a low angle Northerly slope at 2,000'. Pit profile below of this area. Collapse was in facets under a 35cm/14" slab from St. Patty's day storm. Another party noted collapsing lower the NW ridgeline of Magnum.
Weather
Overcast skies (gray bird) with very warm temperatures ~34-35F.
Winds were calm and no precipitation.
Snow surface
Damp settled powder was seen on all aspects. Southerly slopes are very sun affected in general and today warmed up enough the snow was gloppy before turning crusty by late afternoon. Northerlies were becoming damp as well with greenhousing occurring due to the thin cloud cover letting the sun in but also trapping the longwave radiation.
Below 2,000' the snow was supportable crust in the morning and saturated by late in the day. At 1,000' there is little to no snow - again...
Snowpack
We dug in two locations today.
Pit 1- 2,000' on North facing Corn Biscuit - see photo.
ECTP 13 and 15 SC down 35cm in faceted snow
Pit 2- 3,200' on a Southwest aspect of Magnum - see video
ECTP 20 and 21 SC down 45cm in facets under a thin wind crust which was bonded to the 1 finger slab
Large looming cornices - this one sticks out 30 or more feet!
Snowpack at 2,000 - this is where we had our collapse while skinning.
Upper elevations are filling in
Hiking in the forest
Skiing to the road